Serie A | Sassuolo 3-1 Fiorentina: Winless Viola collapse to fresh defeat

Fiorentina had taken the lead with Rolando Mandragora, but then crumbled to a 3-1 defeat at Sassuolo and remain rock bottom without a single victory.

This was an unexpected battle, as the newly-promoted Neroverdi were in 10th place with 11 more points than the Viola. That was because Fiorentina were on their third coach and still without a Serie A victory. Robin Gosens, Jacopo Fazzini and Tariq Lamptey missed the trip, while Domenico Berardi was back on the treatment table until 2026 along with Stefano Turati, Filippo Romagna, Daniel Boloca and Laurs Skjellerup.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Moise Kean volleyed over from 12 yards on a Rolando Mandragora free kick routine, but Arijanet Muric got it horribly wrong when going to punch a Mandragora cross and only got Fabiano Parisi’s face for an inevitable penalty. Following a heated discussion between Kean and Mandragora, the midfielder won and was allowed to convert the ferocious spot-kick.

It did not last long, as Cristian Volpato controlled down the right, cut inside and his left-foot finish from the edge of the box took a slight deflection through Luca Ranieri’s legs, surprising David De Gea.

Andrea Pinamonti turned a few efforts off target from promising positions, as did Kean on a Dodo pull-back from the right.

De Gea got his gloves to a Tarik Muharemovic scorcher from outside the area, but moments later the same player beat him by nodding in the Armand Laurienté corner from six yards to complete the turnaround.

Kean nodded wide and Pinamonti hobbled off with an injury, then Volpato did have the ball in the net for 3-1 on 57 minutes with a powerful finish into the roof of the net, but only after shrugging Parisi off too forcefully in the build-up. This decision infuriated coach Fabio Grosso, who was sent off from the touchline.

Moments later, Walid Cheddira saw his finish deflected onto the base of the upright from close range after a give and go with Kristian Thorstvedt.

Sassuolo were dominating and did get their deserved third goal when Ismael Koné was allowed to surge forward undisturbed and drill in off the inside of the near post.

Any remaining confidence that Fiorentina had left evaporated, although Christian Kouame made his first appearance of the season after a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and they crumbled to their eighth loss of the campaign in Serie A. No team has ever avoided relegation after going the first 14 rounds without a win.

Mandragora pen 9 (F), Volpato 14 (S), Muharemovic 45 (S), Koné 65 (S)